


Call Me Mad-Eye

by violettavioletta



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29489187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violettavioletta/pseuds/violettavioletta
Summary: An exploration of the friendship between Moody and Tonks.
Relationships: Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody & Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	Call Me Mad-Eye

It was supposed to be a training exercise. Moody knew that stealth, with her clumsiness, was one of Tonks' biggest weaknesses. So he had given her a task- tail him from when he left the office to when he returned, ready to give a detailed report of everything he had done afterwards. Should he see her, or suspect he'd seen her, he'd stun her immediately and she'd fail the exercise. She'd managed for nearly eight hours, enough time to be more than sure that he was deliberately trying to stay out until she failed, when the telltale blackness of a stunner had crawled in on her vision.

Her last thought was that it had been odd, because she had eyes on him, and he hadn't touched his wand.

* * *

When she woke up, she knew she was in for it. Moody _loved_ yelling at her. She didn't mind, much. She'd quickly realized that to Moody, yelling was the equivalent of a pat on the back and a " _good job, kid_."

"What gave me away?" she asked, not opening her eyes just yet. It must've been unusually strong, that stunner. She had a lingering headache.

"Ah, Tonks!" said a voice that was decidedly not Moody's, "You're awake! Tell me, how's mummy?"

Tonks' eyes shot open. She looked back and saw the sneering face of Antonin Dolohov. And next to her, bound and wandless...

"Moody?" she gasped. He looked over to her with his good eye, his magical eye whirring as quickly as ever.

"Observant, lass", he said faintly. How the hell did Dolohov manage to get Moody?

"Tell me, Moody", Dolohov said to Tonks, as if he'd heard her question, "Was your little sacrifice for the girl worth it? Knew you wouldn't be able to resist playing the hero. People who fancy themselves decent are so easy to manipulate."

"Not a sacrifice", Moody said in a low voice. Dolohov chuckled.

"We'll see about that", he said.

"You bastard", Tonks growled in a voice that suddenly resembled Moody's. Dolohov smiled.

"You whoring, filthy, spawn of a blood traitor and a mudblood", he responded, before sending a jet of red light.

Pain beyond pain beyond pain, was all Tonks felt. They used the Cruciatus in training, of course, but never a dangerous amount, never backed by hatred like Dolohov's. The curse should never be left on for more than a few seconds, Tonks knew that, but it didn't stop, didn't die, wouldn't go...

" _STOP IT, STOP IT!_ ", she heard someone that sounded very far away yell, and suddenly she could breathe again, could catch her breath, could do something besides scream. She tried not to, but she couldn't help it, she let out a sob.

"Why dont you leave the girl out of it and tell me what the hell it is you want, Dolohov?" Moody growled as Tonks struggled desperately to catch her breath. Dolohov laughed.

"I want you to die, Moody", he said, still grinning, "I was just gonna torture you til you went down. But since the blood traitor bitch is here, might as well do her first. A warm-up, you know?"

"You think you're a tough guy?" Moody returned, his growl more dangerous than Tonks had ever heard it, "Torturing a wandless kid who's never done a damn thing to you? Torture me, sure. I spent my life making sure that I earned it. But her? She didn't do nothing, Dolohov, and you know it. You're a coward. A fucking coward."

Tonks wasn't sure what happened next, because suddenly it was back, the pain was back, and she is focusing on keeping her mouth shut, because otherwise she will beg, and she refuses to beg, she doesn't care if he tortures her into insanity, which he surely will anyway, of course, but she will not beg. _She will not beg._

 _"_ You never did answer my question, Tonks", Dolohov says, and Tonks could cry in relief, because he's lifted the curse in order to do it, "How's mummy doing?"

"Oh, you know", Tonks replies, and her voice is weak, it's so weak, but she tries to keep it light and unconcerned, "The usual blood traitor activities."

Dolohov laughs, but there's no humor. "You're just asking for it, aren't you, Tonks? Cruc-"

"What, don't appreciate a smart ass, Dolohov?" Moody interrupts, in what Tonks recognizes as a wild attempt to keep Dolohov occupied, and Dolohov turns to him, not finishing the curse. It has worked, for now.

"Don't appreciate a blood traitor, Moody", Dolohov snarls back, "And I care even less for their filthy offspring."

And then, Tonks is hit with the curse again, and this time she knows there is no hope, she is going to die, she has never felt pain this bad, she is going to die. Dolohov keeps the curse on, and somewhere in the back of her mind she's aware that Mad-Eye is saying something, struggling against his restraints, but she isn't sure what, she doesn't care what, she's going to die, she's going to die, she's going to die. _She wants to die._

And suddenly, bursting through the door of the warehouse they're trapped in, there's Shacklebolt, and someone Tonks doesn't recognize, and someone else Tonks doesn't recognize... are these all Aurors?

" _Stupefy_!" someone yells, and Dolohov hits the ground, and as he falls, so does Tonks. The curse is lifted, she realizes, it stopped when Dolohov fell, but that doesn't help her. She falls, falls, down down down, until she can't keep her eyes open one more second.

The last thing she sees is one brown eye, softer than she's ever seen it, and one electric blue eye, inches from her face, revolving in its socket.

* * *

The next few hours are hazy. Someone with gnarled hands and a limp has picked her up and apparated her somewhere. Some people are talking, above her head, about medical procedures and needing to do something _right now_. Someone has cupped the back of her head, given her something to drink, and she has shied away, she doesn't want to, but the someone had insisted, holding her head so she couldn't turn away, and as she drinks someone mutters _there's a good lass_ in a low growl marked by a heavy Scottish accent. There are wands pointed at her, and she shies away again, no, no more wands, please no more wands, but it's okay, the wands don't hurt her, she just feels warm, and then she's asleep again.

* * *

She thinks she must be dreaming. Because if she isn't dreaming, why on Earth is Mad-Eye Moody sitting beside her bed?

No, not her bed, she realizes as she looks around. Not St. Mungo's either, though. If she had to guess where she was, she'd throw a dart at the Ministry, though she doesn't recognize the place. She gives a bit of an unintentional grunt, and Moody starts, violently.

"Sir?" she says questioningly. Moody's scarred face settles on hers, and for just a moment, he looks like a man.

"Tonks?" She nods. He barks a low laugh, though it's clearly humorless. "Merlin, don't you scare me like that again, lass."

Tonks smirks. "Did I pass?"

Moody raises his eyebrows. "What, the exercise? I don't know, I'll bet I could've gotten you eventually."

"You are so lucky that I am currently too exhausted to move to hit you", she laughs.

"Your hand couldn't get within a foot of me before I blasted it off", he counters quickly. Suddenly, she grows somber.

"Hey, Moody?" she says tentatively, "Er... thanks."

He waves his hand in a dismissive manner. "Maybe I ought to thank you. After all, if he didn't get you, he would've been torturing me. And it seems he was pissed."

There's a comfortable silence. Tonks always liked that about Moody, he doesn't mind quiet.

"Well, I better get back to work. I've been here a while", Moody finally says. Tonks is curious.

"How long?"

"Since they brought you in. About twelve hours ago."

Tonks hisses. "Moody, go to bed."

He shakes his head. "No can do, Tonks. Work to do, work to do." He stops just as he reaches the door, though. "Hey, Tonks?" he asks, and suddenly his growl is much less pronounced, "Call me Mad-Eye."

He leaves the room, and suddenly, Tonks is laughing. Classic Moody. Can't even say " _I'm glad you're okay_ " or " _I was worried about you_ " or " _good job today_ " or " _I care about you._ "

Nope, all he can manage is _call me Mad-Eye._


End file.
